The other day I asked on reddit if anyone had found the secret trader in the dead city yet, the one Veles mentions. I did this because after the military raid mission I had a lot of loot to sell off. It got no replies so I figured that people had not found him yet for whatever reason and that he does not just show up later in the story. So I started searching... and I kept searching. I pretty quickly started to suspect how futile my efforts were but I kept going because the hint about these traders is the only reward you get for doing a very difficult mission, so it can't just be bullshit. Can it?
I honestly don't remember what exactly Veles says, it's not on my PDA anymore and I don't have any saves near that point.What I do remember him saying is that there is a secret trader in the dead city somewhere, he has some kind of powers and top level gear, that you'll get some kind of message on your PDA when near him(?), and that it will require some kind of leap of faith to get to him. Honestly I forgot the leap of faith part until I was a few buildings in so if the trader does exist and I missed him that's probably why, but I doubt it. As I went marked all the points of interest that I had thoroughly searched with a red question mark, and those that had worthwhile look with a stash symbol. Here's what I found.
http://i.imgur.com/gTNQwPU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fdPfAn4.jpg
There are some free artifacts, parasites and droplets. in the graveyard to the south with only a few zombies and anomalies guarding them. There is a bridge with a pistol called Kora ### on the supports beams under it. The pistol is kinda lackluster, not great stats and rare ammo, especially considering it's a reward for making a tedious climb under the bridge. There is an under the barrel grenade launcher for AKs in the radiated building but I don't think that's worth it either, unless you have antirad and medkits to spare. The building in the top-center part of the city has an advanced anomaly detector and some other loot including rare ammo. Most of the other buildings have garbage loot like food, water, and AK ammo.
Overall I'm pretty disappointed. If the trader exists I don't really know how I missed him. Either I missed a "leap of faith" or there is some kind of trigger, like he is only in a certain place at a certain time. Maybe he is in the empty fields around the dead city, but I doubt it. I'm sort of baffled as to why the reward you get for killing the blood sucker king is bullshit information, but there it is. Anyways if anyone has a save of when you return from X14 let me know exactly what Veles says, maybe I missed a clue.
Oh, and I may not have found a secret trader but I did find the end of the earth
http://i.imgur.com/qFGNZqM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bkDKrNb.jpg